Physics World Weekly Podcast Company uses quantum optics to generate sequences of truly random numbers
Jan 4, 2024
Ramy Shelbaya, CEO of Quantum Dice, discusses how the company uses quantum optics to generate high-speed, truly random numbers. He emphasizes the importance of randomness in technologies like encryption, simulations, and gaming. The challenges of miniaturizing the technology and deploying it in mobile phones are also explored.
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Cryptography's Reliance on Randomness
- Random numbers are crucial for cryptography, serving as the foundation of encryption keys.
- Key security depends on the unpredictability of these numbers, similar to how password strength relates to guessability.
The Challenge of Generating True Randomness
- Computers, designed for predictability, struggle to generate true randomness.
- Current methods often use noisy hardware and software, but the unpredictability's quality remains uncertain.
Vulnerabilities of Pseudo-Random Numbers
- Pseudo-random numbers can be analyzed for patterns, potentially compromising cryptographic systems.
- Even without backdoors, the initial randomness 'seed' is crucial and its quality is hard to verify.